New York Times best-selling author Laurie R. King has won or been nominated for every major award in mystery writing. King's beloved sleuth Mary Russell here attempts to reverse her legendary husband Sherlock Holmes' greatest failure. "A one-woman case for the defense of unauthorized literary sequels . intelligent, witty, complex and atmospheric ."-Washington Post Book World
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"This Mary Russell series is fun, even if you (as I) have not been a fan of Sherlock Holmes. An unlikely pairing, but still believable. The time is early 20th century. Every book provides information of the era as well as some other topic. For example, there is a lot to be learned about the San Francisco (1906) earthquake from reading "Locked Rooms". "Jerusalem" offers a lot of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish (Russell is jewish) background in the area. Also, your feminist buttons will get pushed as the attitudes of the time are presented, though neither Holmes nor Russell let themselves be bound by them. The "Language of Bees" pulls a somewhat dirty trick in ending with a "to be continued." But that would be expected in any case, as it introduces a character who could be considered Russell's and Holmes' new professor Moriarity."
— Karen (4 out of 5 stars)
A one-woman case for the defense of unauthorized literary sequels … intelligent, witty, complex and atmospheric …”—Washington Post Book World
" A fun adventure, but I wish I knew when I started this that it would "spill over" to the next book in the series! "
— Jean, 2/19/2014" While I loved being back with Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell, I didn't enjoy "The Language of Bees" as much as I did the books in this series. "The Language of Bees" was a very entertaining read, though it wasn't as intricate a mystery as the other Russell & Holmes books were. Also, the villain didn't seem as dangerous or deadly, which made the ending seem all the more out of joint. I also though that Laurie King didn't spend much time on the relationship between Mary and Holmes; they were barely together throughout the book. I was disappointed by the cliffhanger ending which I felt could have been tidied up a bit better. I still don't understand why King chose a cliffhanger as an ending for "The Language of Bees" when she ended the other Russell & Holmes books properly; but overall I still enjoyed reading "The Language of Bees." "
— Catyche, 2/2/2014" I love this series. This was excellent, but the ending leaves me very impatient for the next installment. "
— Jeannette, 1/30/2014" I love Laurie King's Mary Russell mystery series. This was well-crafted with a great plot and great characters. If you like Sherlock Holmes and historical mysteries, you will enjoy this book. "
— Molly, 1/24/2014" I almost gave it only four stars due to the slower-paced (than usual) opening chapters, then I came to my senses and gave it what it deserves. Ms. King's world and characters are so well-developed and authentically real to the Holmes universe that it truly reads like a real memoir. This novel delves in to the creepy world of religious cults led by sociopaths (are there any other kind?) and the stakes are, as expected, high. It doesn't end on a cliff-hanger, but it is definitely a two-parter, and I'm looking forward to diving in to "The God of the Hive" asap. "
— Neb, 1/22/2014" Excellent addition to a series that gets better with each new book. "
— Kim, 1/11/2014" Laurie R. King returns once again with intricate character studies and esoterica presented with finesse. However, the dramatic tension is wanting, as has been the case in the last few novels. Readers are advised to consult King's first four titles in this series, since they are her best to date. "
— Andrea, 1/7/2014" Read this book again, so that I could read the sequel book #10 in the Mary Russell series. Just as good as the first time I read it. "
— Lisa, 12/15/2013" Loved it! Great summer read-thriller! "
— Heidi, 12/11/2013" I really enjoy this series "
— Steph, 10/21/2013" This Mary Russell novel was for me a definite dip in quality. The madman with his blood sacrifices was too too macabre for me. I prefer my mysteries with more practical motives and less bloodshed. Ugh. The long lost son of Holmes was an interesting twist though. "
— Jodi, 9/7/2013Laurie R. King is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes stories. She has been nominated for a multitude of prizes, and her fiction has won the Edgar, Creasy, Nero, and Macavity awards. She has been guest of honor at several crime conventions, and she was inducted into the Baker Street Irregulars in 2010.
Jenny Sterlin, winner of several Earphones Awards, has more than ninety audio titles to her credit, including Laurie R. King’s popular Sherlock Holmes / Mary Russell series. Before beginning her narration career, she helped found England’s experimental Living Theatre.